b'Caring forORPHAN DIANE RICEHow to handle your orphans diet FOALSchallenges and behavior issuesW hen breeding farm owner Nicole Walden lost one ofsome horse owners have had success her broodmares to a slow, imperceptible hemorrhagewith colostrum from other speciesabout 10 hours after foaling, she found herself strug- particularly goats or cattle. From a veterinarians viewpoint, cow and goat gling with the best way to handle the orphan filly. colostrum might work in a pinch, but mare colostrum is ideal. Many large In the past shed leased nurse mares,York. So theyve got to get colostrumbreeding farms bank and freeze mare but this year Walden wanted to spendwithin the first 24 hours and preferablycolostrum in case they need it andless. The $3,500 mare rental pluswithin the first 12, because immuno- could be a source for individual owners.$1,000 in shipping each way fromglobulins (IgG, aka antibodies) in theThe best colostrum, regardless of Pennsylvania to her Total Quartercolostrum are very large molecules,species, contains a large amount of Horses, in Farmersville, Texas, yieldedand after 24 hours the foals gut can noimmunoglobulins that will protect a disappointing cost-benefit analysis.longer absorb them. the foal against common infections So, because the foal had nursed for atIn fact, a foal absorbs 85% of the co- as well as local pathogens. Obtaining least eight hours before the mare died,lostral antibodies in six to eight hours. colostrum from local mares that are negating the need to find a colostrumWalden says she uses an older-typewell-vaccinated against diseases such (the mares antibody- and nutrient-richmanual human breast pump to collectas influenza, herpesvirus, strangles, Po-first milk) source, Walden called upcolostrum from her heavier-milkingtomac horse fever, rabies, and tetanus some experienced colleagues and amares to freeze for future needs. Andprovides the best protection against reproduction specialist to discuss herif the dam has died within the past fewbugs foals are likely to encounter, says options. She then formulated a planminutes, she milks out the colostrumBuechner-Maxwell.and worked with her veterinarian tofrom the mares udder. You want your foal to be protected ensure a good outcome for the foal. Virginia Buechner-Maxwell, DVM,from the pathogens around them, so That filly is now 8 months old and,MS, Dipl. ACVIM, director of the Cen- you want them to get colostrum from although slightly less socialized dueter for Animal Human Relationships atanimals in the same environment, to being raised outside the group, onVirginia Tech, in Blacksburg, who hasKarner says. Once those antibodies par with her peers and doesnt exhibitboth raised orphan foals and workedare used up, the foal is making its own negative orphan foal behaviors. Readwith other owners of orphans, says thisantibodies.on to find out what worked for Walden,technique only works if the mare hasWhen evaluating an orphan, along with two veterinarians recom- just died (so the milk is not tainted).Buechner-Maxwell right away uses a mendations for managing orphans. For foals that do not suckle well orquick, simple, stall-side blood test to are reluctant to eat, its best not to trymeasure IgG transfer (the amount of Feeding & Health Issues to force them to eat, as the milk canantibodies received from the colostrum) Your first concern with an orphaneasily end up in the trachea and causeand, so, check its immunity levels.foal is getting colostrum into him. Andpneumonia, she says. Instead, refrig- If its inadequate, Ill provide ad-SHAWN HAMILTON/CLIX PHOTOnot just at any point in time, but withinerate the colostrum and immediatelyditional protection immediately, she the first few hours after foaling. Foalscall your veterinarian to come look atsays. are born naive, meaning they havethe foal and provide the colostrum byThe substitute might be a commer-none of their own antibodies, sayspassing a nasogastric tube and deliver- cial colostrum replacement or plasma Pam Karner, VMD, of Starland Veteri- ing it directly into the stomach.product. Commercial colostrum re-nary Services, in Trumansburg, NewIn the absence of mare colostrum,placement products come in powder or 32TheHorse.comTHE HORSE March 2018'